We've got a young flock, about 8 months, and our Campine is the smallest and she is kind of a loner. Flighty and nervous. Near the bottom of the pecking order. And she spends a good amount of time foraging in our neighbor's yard (which is about 1/3 of an acre of compost piles, wood piles, etc.) I've even seen her mingling with the neighbor's chickens.
Around 5 months of age, she starting laying pretty well (about 4 eggs a week), in the nesting box with the others. She laid for about 2 months. The last 2 eggs that we got were laid in a bag of leaves in the chicken pen, which was weird to see the change of location.
Now, we haven't gotten any eggs from her in about a month. She's not molting, and all of our other chickens are at high production right now because the weather has finally cooled down from our consecutive 70 days of 100+ degree weather! She was laying some days that were 109! And now that its 85 she's not?
I've looked very thoroughly in the neighbor's yard, even in his own chickens' nesting box.
So...some questions...
Is it possible that she only laid from 5-7 months of age and is now, as the other chickens grew to be much bigger and bossier than her, she is too stressed to lay?
or
Is she laying somewhere in the neighbors yard and something is eating them before I find them? On weekends we try to watch her activity and haven't been able to conclude anything but that she likes to forage around. It used to take her a while to lay her eggs, so I feel like IF she was laying somewhere, we either wouldn't be able to find her, or we would catch her in the act. But, every time she isn't in the pen and we go look for her, she is just rummaging around either solo or with the neighbor's chickens.
Any input is appreciated.
Around 5 months of age, she starting laying pretty well (about 4 eggs a week), in the nesting box with the others. She laid for about 2 months. The last 2 eggs that we got were laid in a bag of leaves in the chicken pen, which was weird to see the change of location.
Now, we haven't gotten any eggs from her in about a month. She's not molting, and all of our other chickens are at high production right now because the weather has finally cooled down from our consecutive 70 days of 100+ degree weather! She was laying some days that were 109! And now that its 85 she's not?
I've looked very thoroughly in the neighbor's yard, even in his own chickens' nesting box.
So...some questions...
Is it possible that she only laid from 5-7 months of age and is now, as the other chickens grew to be much bigger and bossier than her, she is too stressed to lay?
or
Is she laying somewhere in the neighbors yard and something is eating them before I find them? On weekends we try to watch her activity and haven't been able to conclude anything but that she likes to forage around. It used to take her a while to lay her eggs, so I feel like IF she was laying somewhere, we either wouldn't be able to find her, or we would catch her in the act. But, every time she isn't in the pen and we go look for her, she is just rummaging around either solo or with the neighbor's chickens.
Any input is appreciated.
